secrets
by Lilli89
Summary: TKs half-sister has a dark past. Are Owen and Tyler able to save her?
1. Chapter 1

**I hope you will enjoy! In this story, Owen has a son and a daughter. Her name is Emma and she is 15 years old.**

**Feel free to comment, leave your critics or whatever you would like to say.**

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"Emma, what's wrong with you?"; TK looked worriedly at his half-sister, who had pushed her full plate aside without a word.

"Why did you really want to move in with me and Dad?"

The 15-year-old looked sadly at her brother.

"Is this an interrogation now?" But the young fireman shook his head.

"No, I just worry. You're barely eating, you're always hanging around, and this story that you're moving to Austin from one day to the next?"

The 15-year-old moaned annoyed.

"Mom caught me smoking pot. Since you yourself know what it's like to use drugs, I don't have to tell you what that means. "

TK shook his head.

"That's not the real reason. You're hiding something from us."

Emma avoided her brother's gaze, now saying nothing at all.

"Hey,"; TK. gently stroked her arm as she pulled it away.

"Im with you. I don't mean to be rude, but I feel like we're missing something here."

"Are you with the cops now? Have you switched sides?"

"No, but I can tell when others are miserable. "

"I messed up at home, stole Mom's car, secretly smoked pot, and because she thinks I'm bad company, she decided it's Dad's turn to take care of me. "

"Okay,"; TK raised his hands defensively.

"It doesn't make sense. If you want to talk, you know where to find me. I have to go to work now. Dad will be back from his shift in half an hour,"; he said goodbye and grabbed his smartphone before checking on her again and then leaving the living room. Only shortly after the door had fallen into the lock, he dialed Carlo's number. He let it ring several times until the voice of his friend came on.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Carlos, I have a problem. There is something wrong with my sister. Can you do some research for me? I got a bad feeling about this. It's not just their little trips to the clubs. This is more."

The policeman gave him his word.

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"Wow, I can't believe this. " Horrified, TK looked at the documents that Carlos had saved on his computer.

"Her stepfather has a history of domestic violence. Emma and her mother aren't the first ones he abused. "

TK stared gloomily at the photos, which showed both his half-sister and her mother badly battered and with several fractures in the face and the rest of the body.

"That's why she's here. Drugs or bad behavior, maybe. Her mom brought her here because she thinks Emma's safe with us"; TK said to himself.

Carlos gave him a grim nod.

"You need to talk to your father. "

"Sure, but that doesn't solve the problem. Emma's mother is still there. " Carlos shook his head.

"Tyler, it's not that simple. "

"But she just has to get out there. She could live with us. " Confidently, Carlos shook his head, looking at his friend with a serious expression.

"Listen. Women who live together with such men for a long time often cannot separate so easily. This is not comprehensible to us, but often there is a certain dependency. " Irritated TK looked at his partner.

"But she knows it's wrong. Otherwise she wouldn't have allowed my sister to move in with us."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean she's gonna get out of this relationship so easily. You don't want to know how many times I've seen that? Whenever I thought the women were over it, it started all over again. There are things involved that we can only guess at. It's not just about money or love. These women know that men will often follow them anywhere. "

Stunned, TK shook his head. He had expected the least of this.

"My dad's gonna freak out. I can't believe this. Why didn't she tell us?"

"Because she wants to protect her mother. The two have learned that talking about it would be their death sentence. "

TK clenched his fists furiously, which is why Carlos put his hand over his.

"Tyler, promise me to keep calm. We must weigh every step carefully. " TK nodded his head seriously, then he rose abruptly upwards.

"I still have to talk to my father. And it better be as soon as possible. "


	2. Chapter 2

TK walked into the hallway.

"Dad?"; his voice resounded through the house, because he assumed that the car was in the garage. Shortly afterwards he entered the kitchen, but had to realize that his father wasn't here.

"Dad?"; he repeated, but received no answer and entered the next room. Instead, he ran into Emma. His sister sat on the couch, crying and stared at her smartphone in disbelief. Slowly he came closer, looked at her in dismay.

"Hey, what happened?"; Carefully he sat down next to her, but she only cried into the palms of her hands, shaking her head.

"Emma talk to me."

But his sister just cried. TK took her in his arms, held her close.

"I can't do this anymore. I can't take it", Emma repeated.

"The thing with your stepfather?"; she looked up at TK, separated herself easily from her brother.

"How do you know that?"; she sobbed, but TK gently stroked her shoulder.

"Carlos let me look at the files. "

She sobbed softly.

"Hey, we'll find a way. I promise you that. "

"How? You have no idea what it's like?"

TK. squeezed her hand.

"Emma, you're safe here. Dad and I will never let this guy get too close to you. "

"But not my mom. She's still with him. He keeps writing me messages. He threatens to kill her if I open my mouth and wants to know where I am all the time. He just won't leave me alone. " She grabbed her phone, gave it to TK, who looked at the screen in horror, then put the device aside.

"Okay, listen. You're gonna get dressed, we're gonna look for Dad, and then you're gonna tell him everything that happened. " She shook her head in despair.

"Yes, you must. The only way we can help you is if you finally talk about it. Please", TK insisted.

He looked at her intensely, which finally made her nod her head. . .

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Three hours later they were sitting in the living room of the Strands. Carlos had also stopped by at short notice to record Emma's confession. Owen had taken her in his arms. TK sat on the other side of the couch and held her hand while she reported about the events of the last months. Carlos, who had taken a seat opposite her, looked at the teenager in a worried way.

"When did this start?", he wanted to know.

Emma sniffed softly, before she raised and lowered her shoulders.

"He was quite nice at first. She met him at a party two years ago. It began quite harmlessly. Sometimes he was stressed, sometimes completely overworked and often totally drunk. At some point I came home from school and she was sitting in the kitchen with a black eye. I asked her what was wrong and she replied that she had fallen with her bicycle. This went on several times until he freaked out for the first time in the evening, also towards me. I had left my books in the living room and suddenly he started hitting me. He said if I talk about it, he'll kill me and my mom and that he always knows where we are. After that, things only got worse. Every time. "

"Okay, when did your mom decide that you can go see your dad?"

"Two months ago. I really messed up. Lately, I have been getting more and more into it with her too. So we decided I'd move in with Dad. Still, I'm so scared my stepdad will hurt her or come here. "

"Hey, shhh. . . Everything's gonna be okay," Owen comforted his daughter and took her in his arms. TK stroked her back sympathetically while his father held her protectively in his arms.

"What do we do now?", TK whispered.

"Is that enough to put this guy behind bars?"

Carlos avoided to look at TK.

"It's not that simple. Of course, Emma's testimony would incriminate him in court, but we have to make sure her mother goes along with it, and here's the crucial point."

"You're not serious, are you? This guy's out there on the loose and we're supposed to just sit tight?"; Carlos shook his head.

"Nobody talks about waiting. I need Helen's statement. That assumes she's willing to turn on her boyfriend. "

"What if we don't get it?"; TK. wanted to know, and he received a sigh from Carlos, who put his pen aside.

"The problem is that Emma is underage. Think about who the judge is going to believe?" The 16-year-old began to cry again.

"I should have never talked about it,"; she sobbed angrily, which is why Owen strengthened his grip.

"That was the only right thing you could do,"; her father gently stroke her back

"If we take this step, we have to be sure we have Helen on our side. There's no point in us filing charges or hiring her a lawyer and that Rick takes it out on Emma's mother,"; Carlos explained, which TK confirmed with a nod.

"We need a better plan. "

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"My shift starts in 20 minutes. Can I leave you two alone?"; Owen asked as he entered the living room.

TK and Emma sat in front of the TV and nodded at their father. Owen said good-bye to both of them and gave Emma a kiss before getting in the car and driving to the station. He knew that his son would take good care of his sister, which made his guilty conscience of leaving them both alone more bearable.

"Sorry I've been so lousy to you lately," the 15-year-old finally tried to start a conversation. TK put his arm around her shoulder, so she leaned tiredly against his shirt.

"Wasn't without reason. But you know that I'm always looking out for you and keeping an eye on you. " Emma smiled sadly. Although her brother was considerably older and the distance between them meant that they could not spend much time together, the two had a fairly close relationship.

"Tyler?", she whispered after a few minutes, receiving a nod from TKs side.

"Can you stay with me tonight? I don't think I can be alone now. " He gave her an encouraging smile, nodded understandingly.

"Sure, no problem. I'm gonna get my mattress and sleep on the floor next to you. "

"You sure?"

"Don't worry."

She grinned at him.

"I'll protect you, okay?", he pulled his cold foam mattress out of the room and finally laid it next to the couch. Emma turned off the TV, then crawled onto the couch while TK made his bed on the floor. Ten minutes later, they had turned off the light, lay on the couch and mattress and hung their thoughts.

"TK?"

"Huh?"

"How did you manage to stay clean this long, anyway?"

Silence filled the room. When Emma already didn't expect an answer, TK started talking.

"With Dad. Because he never gave up on me. If it wasn't for him, I would have died of an oxy overdose at the time. Without him I wouldn't be 26 now. "

"Did you. . . Were you trying to kill yourself?" Another silence followed before Emma got an answer.

"I don't know. Maybe. I didn't care about anything then. I thought I couldn't go on living after Alex dumped me. Dad sensed something was wrong and he found me. My heart had already stopped. When I think about it now, I don't want to know what he went through back then. "

"I fear for him sometimes. That he's not gonna make it. You know, the cancer...", Emma whispered.

"Me too,"; TK finally admitted in a trembling voice, then cleared his throat embarrassed.

"But maybe we shouldn't think that far ahead. If there's one thing Dad made me realize, it's more to live in the moment. And right now he's fine. His vitals are stable. No need to panic. "

"You should be proud of yourself, TK. "

"Why?"; "Because you made it. I have no idea if I can handle this. I didn't exactly have my best time in New York."

"It's kind of a family thing, huh? The city didn't do me much good then either. When I first came to Austin, I thought I couldn't last for 2 months here. It's now almost one and a half years. " TK reached for her hand, which he squeezed.

"Anyway. You should go to sleep now. "

"I love you, TK. "

"I love you too. Sleep tight, little sis. I'm here. I'll take care of you. "


	3. Chapter 3

"Dad?"; TK asked his father over the phone while he looked worriedly at his sister who was sitting at the kitchen table the next day.

"What are we gonna do about Emma? If I'm filling in for Judd because he's sick, she should be here alone. "

"Just bring her along"; was the decisive answer, which caused the 16-year-old to smile softly.

"Okay, whatever you say. We'll be there in 20 minutes." TK. hung up and reached for Emma's phone, which he passed to her.

"Here"; he gave her the device back after collecting it yesterday, because father and son felt that the news were making her uncomfortable.

"But I would really ask you not to do anything rash. When he writes, we'll discuss how to proceed and if it's compatible with our plan, okay?" Emma nodded. TK handed her a plate of fruit that he had just cut.

"And now, for a change, you're going to start eating normally again. "

"Are you mothering me now?"

"I'm worried. And yes, I do."

"You're worse than Dad,"; whined Emma, which is why TK grinned and took a sip from his coffee cup, but eventually became serious again.

"Emma, about your question yesterday. But you're clean now, right?" Her furtive look gave TK goose bumps all over his back. Emma nodded her head, but something told him that this was only half the truth. She stuffed some apples in her mouth, then jumped up.

"Come on, let's go. Dad still thinks something happened to us. "

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"Everything okay with you?" Thoughtfully, TK looked at Owen, who was sitting in his office doing the paperwork.

"I don't know. I worry about Emma. She asked me such strange things. Because of my addiction. Sometimes I get the feeling she's not clean. "

"Are you sure?"

TK shrugged his shoulders.

"Even though she is here, she has not yet arrived at her new life. It's the same as mine. Her mom never set limits for her. " Owen looked at his son with guilt.

"The old problem. "

"I know I wasn't there for you and it's my fault, but I can't turn back time. " Tyler raised his eyebrows skeptically.

"So what's your plan now? Because of the thing with her stepfather?"

"I'll invite Helen. And either she jumps at it, or we have to deal with the situation. "

"You want to quit?"

"TK , Helen's all grown up. We can't save the world. If she wants to live with this guy, there's nothing we can do about it. Our priority is to save Emma. I have a good lawyer who will help me to get custody until she becomes 18. However, this presupposes that she will be able to cope well with her new everyday life. And that she's leaving her old life behind. " Father and son looked at each other in a very meaningful way.

"I could ask Carlos to do an unofficial investigation and run a test. A hair analysis. Then we'll know if she's telling the truth or lying to me. " No one could have predicted how things would turn out. . .

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"TK , can you give me a ride to the bus stop later? I'd like to watch my favorite show on TV tonight,"; Emma asked that same day, curiously sticking her head inside the kitchen area of the station.

"Abby next door wants to come too. I hope that's okay with you?"

Suspiciously, TK looked at Owen, but he nodded to confirm her question. He knew Abby. The Walters were nice neighbors. Therefore he was of the opinion that he had nothing to fear.

"Wouldn't you rather prefer, that I drive you straight home?"; muttered Tyler who became suspicious for the first time but she quickly shook her head.

"You don't have to. I can take the bus. I don't want to put you to any trouble. " She walked up, gave Owen a meaningful look.

"Dad, can I have the key?"

Unsuspectingly, Owen gave her the key to the front door before she left with a smile on her face in the direction of TK's car. Her brother looked thoughtfully after her.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?", he wanted to know from Owen, who didn't suspect any bad intention.

"Come on, now, don't get paranoid. I know Abby. It's really okay. " TK took a deep breath in and out.

"If you think so,"; he muttered half-heartedly before moving toward his car, where Emma was already waiting. He drove her to the bus stop as arranged before he went back to the station.

The evening went uneventful. Not a single call, which allowed them to have a long dinner. Owen weighed his daughter in safe. His phone call in the meantime had been satisfactory. The worries seemed to be in vain. Finally it was shortly after midnight when the all-decisive emergency call arrived. The team was about to go to bed for a few hours when they were called to a car accident on the Interstate.

A car had crashed head-on into another car. Several young people were injured.

That was all the operator had told them.

They still had no idea what to expect. While the firefighters of another guard took over the black SUV, Owen and his team took care of the green Honda. Owen had just sent his colleagues to the car when TK started screaming for him frantically. At first he didn't understand what was happening.

Only Judd's loud roar made him realize that it had to be serious. He ran to his team, then stared completely frightened at his lifeless daughter, who TK had put on the black asphalt with Judd's help. Meanwhile Paul and Marjan took care of the remaining passengers of the car.

"Dad,"; Tyler whispered with tears in his eyes and looked at his father pleading.

"Emma, she's dying,"; he whispered confusedly before he started the first attempts to perform CPR on his sister. In the end, Owen pushed him aside because he wanted to take matters into his own hands. This had to be a nightmare. How did she get in those cars? For a brief moment, Owen looked at the young man and the also young girl, who were given first aid by his colleagues, before movement returned to his body. In shock, TK watched as his father turned mouth into mouth ventilation to breathe life into his sister's body.

"Do something! Where's the fucking ambulance?"; Tyler screamed as he stared stunned at his sister. Minutes seemed like hours to him and it took an endless eternity for Owen to get his daughter stable enough for the paramedics to get her on the stretcher and off to the hospital. Stunned, Owen and TK watched as the car disappeared behind the next street corner. What the hell happened here?


	4. Chapter 4

"I don't get this. She shouldn't been there,"; TK greeted Carlos with a trembling voice and fell into his arms.

Tiredly Owen looked at his son. Like the rest of the team, he had been waiting for hours to get further news from the doctors. Carlos took TK's hand. They both went to the waiting area where he sat down next to the rest of their friends.

"We don't know much. Only that the kids were on their way to a party and my colleagues found pills and alcohol in the car. " TK. looked at Carlos in disbelief.

"Emma told us she was at home. She wanted to watch TV with a friend,"; he said sadly and looked gloomily at his father. Carlos shook his head.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but she never got there. I spoke to the other girls mom. Emma and Hannah were together all evening and then wanted to go to this party in her boyfriend car. "

"Great. We didn't even know these friends existed. " Compassionately, Reyes looked first at Owen and then at TK.

"What will you tell us next? That she has a criminal record?"

"No, but she was no stranger to my colleagues in the New York police department."

"This can't be true. " Owen shook his head in a completely exhausted way. He seemed visibly upset, which is why TK reached for his hand. He wanted to reply, but at that moment the door opened and the attending doctor stepped outside. Owen immediately jumped up.

"Mr. Strand?"

"Yeah?";

"Your daughter was lucky. The accident caused a head trauma and several broken ribs. We were able to stop the internal bleeding, but we'll keep her in the ICU for observation. "

"Oh, my God. Can I see her?"

The doctor nodded before leading Owen and TK. into the neighboarhood room.

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For the next few hours, Owen and TK sat by Emma's bedside. The 15-year-old had only short waking phases. The medication made her sleepy.

"Dad, go home and get some rest. I don't want you to break down. You've been on your feet for hours", TK made clear to his father, who was having trouble staying awake, after they spent several hours at the hospital. It was around 2:30 a.m.

"It's okay. I want to be with her when she wakes up. "

"This may take time. You heard the doctor. I'm staying here. Come on. Go home, take a shower and get some sleep. " Owen smiled sadly and close to tears. TK, who felt the condition of his father, squeezed his hand and patted him on the back encouragingly.

"She can do it. She's strong. She's a Strand. "

"I'll inform Helen to come here. "

Tyler nodded sadly. He had no idea where this would lead, but he suspected that Emma's mother wouldn't be thrilled. Through good persuasion he managed to convince his father to rest at home for a few hours. Thoughtfully, TK paused at Emma's bedside and held her hand. She had several abrasions on her face and presented a pitiful picture. Carlos, who was still waiting in the cafeteria, finally entered the hospital room and looked at the 15-year-old with a serious expression on his face.

"This will be a rude awakening. "

"Tell me... " TK had another thought.

"What kind of charges are we talking about here?"

Carlos sighed.

"Driving under the influence of alcohol. Even if she wasn't driving the car. She can forget about her driving licence for the next few years. Of course, it also depends on whether she had alcohol or drugs in her system and whether I report it. "

TK's eyes met Carlos.

"Should that be reported?"; Carlos sighed. TK gave him a sad look. It just took him seconds to understand what he wanted.

"Do you know what you're asking me to do?"; TK breathed a kiss towards him, which is why he made a wry grimace.

"Why do I say that?"; Carlos growled before he rose to the top.

"I'll get the records from the attending physician and then we'll see. "

"Thanks,", T. K. grinned. Carlos looked at him in a reproachful way.

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Three hours later, Emma became conscious for the first time. TK felt a pressure on his hand, then opened his eyes and then looked at his sister who seemed to be crying and disoriented.

"Hey, hey, hey. Take it easy. It's alright. You're here in the hospital. Do you remember what happened?"

The reaction made further questions unnecessary. She nodded with a sob.

"I'm so sorry,"; she whispered faintly, so TK. squeezed her hand.

"We'll talk about that later, okay?"; he said quietly, trying not to ring the bell reproachfully before he carefully stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

"The important thing is that you get back on your feet. "

"Where's Dad?"; he thought he could understand between sobs. "

"At home. He's been with you all the time, so he needs to rest."

"I really didn't want this", she sobbed desperately, so Tyler stroked her arm constantly.

"Shhh. . . calm down. It's not important right now, okay?"

"I lied to you. I shouldn't be there,"; she raved incoherently.

Relieved, TK noticed how the door opened and a sister entered.

"Excuse me, can you give her something to calm her down?"; he asked quietly, which the nurse confirmed with a nod. Carefully she drew up a syringe which she gave to the whimpering teenager in the entrance. TK held Emma's hand, trying to calm her down before she closed her eyes again and was overcome by the effects of the medication. Worried, he looked at his sister and tried to wink away the tears. He knew too well what she was going through.


	5. Chapter 5

"Owen, I'm asking for an explanation. You should take care of Emma. Instead, you totally messed it up. "

That same evening, Helen Thompson, who had just arrived from New York, was sitting on the couch at the Strands and seemed in no good mood.

The mood was irritable. TK and Owen sat across from her and were not afraid to show their anger.

"I could ask you the same. Where have you been in the past year when your lover abused our daughter? "

Helen looked at her ex-husband in shock. For a second it seemed like she was busted.

"We know about it. Emma told us what your boyfriend did to her. And to you. "

Helen shook her head, looking at father and son with hatred.

"This will have an aftermath. It's a shame, Owen, that even after 15 years you still can't manage to act like a responsible father. You'll hear from my lawyer, "she wanted to get up, but Owen cut her off.

"If I were you, I would think about further steps. If you can afford a domestic violence complaint? You must be aware that this incident is only a result of the way you raised her. That this is only the aftermath of Emma's time in New York. In any case, I will know how to prevent my daughter from returning to her old environment, as long as it's not save for her and she might become a victim to a convicted criminal. "

Shocked, Helen looked at her ex-husband as her eyes filled with tears. She clung desperately to her purse.

"You have no idea, Owen. You don't know what we went through. "

"We know everything and that's why I'm not going to let her go back to you, "Owen raged.

"Oh yes?"

"Listen, if you want to keep staying with this life-weary idiot, that's your business. But nobody will come too close to my daughter. As long as I live."

Ultimately, TK seized the opportunity and rose from the couch.

"Sorry to interrupt you, but I'm going to the hospital now. Visiting the person we are talking about here and who now needs us the most ", he made a clear announcement, then left the living room shaking his head.

He couldn't stand the arguments any longer ...

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"How are you?" TK asked in a low voice.

Emma looked at her brother guiltily, shrugging her shoulders unhappily.

"How you feel when you've messed up so much."

Tyler gave her an encouraging smile, opened his backpack, and took out some items.

"Here. Your headphones so you can listen to music and a few other things. "

He sat down on the edge of her bed, looked at her sympathetically.

"Listen, I know what you're going through. That's why I won't judge you for it. Dad can do that later. "

Emma avoided her brother's eyes.

"Listen, your mom arrived earlier. I just want to warn you. In case she stops by for a visit."

Emma's eyes filled with tears. TK reached for her hand.

"Hey, look at me. You 're alive. That's the most important thing. And otherwise, you should just be mercilessly honest now."

She nodded her head sadly. TK wiped the tears from her face.

"When was the last time you took drugs?"

Emma sniffed but didn't answer.

"Emma. When was the last time?", he repeated, which is why she hesitated to come out with the truth.

"On the way to the party."

"What stuff?"

"Crystal."

"Well, great," TK growled ironically.

"Welcome to the club," he added, wanting to shake hands with her, whereupon she looked ashamedly to the side.

"Prepare for a tough time and I don't mean drug withdrawal. I talk about Dad."

Emma looked at her brother with fearful eyes.

"The good thing is, afterwards you are definitely clean. Trust me."

As always, he should be right ...

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"We need to talk. Emma, please take a seat in the living room. "

Meanwhile, Helen had gone back to New York and Emma had been released from the hospital. So far, Owen had spared her sermons, but at the latest when she got home, serious talks couldn't be avoided any longer. Guiltily Emma walked into the living room and sat on the couch.

TK, who already guessed what was coming, took a seat next to her at a certain distance.

Owen sat down on a chair.

"Okay, it's tough love from now on. If this should work with us, you do it my way. Therapy, twice a week with a therapist that I choose. From now on you're going on withdrawal and give me the remaining pills. You're not allowed to leave the house until I say so. If I catch you once again with drugs of any kind, I will personally take you to boarding school in Oregon. Did you understand that?"

Emma cried silently, but nodded her head.

TK said nothing. In comparison to Emma he was damn lucky. Probably his father was so strict because Emma was younger.

"I'm not doing this because I want to harm you, but because I love you."

She never dared to look at her father.

"What you experienced in New York was not okay. But this can't be the way either. "

Emma moved her head silently.

"Emmi, you could have died in the process. And I would never have forgiven myself for that. I know I wasn't there for you before and I would love to go back in time, but I can't. I can only try to do it a little better now. "

Owen moved closer to her, handed her a handkerchief to wipe the tears from her face.

"I'm sorry, dad. I totally disappointed you. "

"Show me that you can do better."

She looked up from her tearful eyes, then looked at TK, who gave her an encouraging wink.

"That I can trust you, as before."

Emma's gaze wandered to the window.

She would have given anything to go back in time ...


End file.
